BLACKSBURG, Va. - Left fielder Jose Pabon and second baseman Nick Jones belted three-run homers as No. 25 Virginia Commonwealth University defeated Virginia Tech 12-5 in baseball at English Field on Wednesday.

Pabon broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the fifth inning with his three-run shot to center field. The Rams finished the inning with four runs and held a 6-2 lead until the eighth when Jones capped a six-run inning with his three-run homer. VCU third baseman Anthony Granato also drove in three runs during the game, posting a run-scoring single in the third inning and a two-run single in the eighth.

The Rams (41-11) got eight strong innings from starting pitcher Matt Prendergast, who recorded his seventh win without a loss. Prendergast scattered eight hits and allowed five runs. He struck out six batters and walked one. Reliever Cla Meredith retired the Hokies in order in the ninth inning.

Tech (33-20) got the first run of the game when third baseman Chris Stanton (Centreville, Va.) led off the bottom of the first inning with a double and scored on a two-out double down the right field line by catcher Wyatt Toregas (Ashburn, Va.). Toregas singled and scored Tech's second run in the fourth inning, then finished out the Hokies' scoring with a three-run home run in the eighth inning.

Toregas accounted for half of Tech's hits and all but one RBI with a 4-for-4 afternoon that included four runs batted in and two scored. First baseman Chris Winterfeldt (Lynchburg, Va.) accounted for the Hokies' other run with a sacrifice bunt in the fourth inning.

Tech starting pitcher Seth Bandy (Pembroke, Va.) went 4 2/3 innings and took the loss. The redshirt junior left-hander is 0-2 on the season.

Tech is scheduled to close out the regular season with a crucial three-game series against Notre Dame at English Field on Friday and Saturday. The two teams will play a double-header beginning at noon on Friday and a single game at noon on Saturday. Tech, which is currently fourth in the league standings, will be battling for the fourth - and final - spot in the BIG EAST Championship. League-leading West Virginia has already clinched a spot in the tournament along with Rutgers and Notre Dame, which currently stand second and third, respectively.